Our Staff
ALLISON KELLEY, CAE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
832-717-5200, Ext. 124
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Allison Kelley has served as Executive Director of Romance Writers of America since 1995. Prior to her career with RWA, Allison served as Vice-President of Operations for two banks. Allison holds a B.A. in English from the University of Texas. After graduation, she studied Accounting and Finance at the University of Houston. In December 2006, Allison was awarded the Certified Association Executive designation based on her experience and passing a rigorous exam administered by American Society of Association Executives covering all areas of association regulations and management. Allison serves as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chairperson of the Finance Committee for Authors Coalition of America, an organization that represents text writers, songwriters, visual artists, illustrators and photographers for the purpose of repatriating and distributing the creator's share of foreign non-title specific royalty payments for American works photocopied abroad.
CAROL RITTER, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
832-717-5200, Ext. 127
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Carol Ritter joined RWA after serving for nine years as vice-president of operations and standards of the Better Business Bureau of Houston and South Texas. As deputy executive director, Carol reviews boilerplate contracts to determine if publishers meet RWA’s standards. She also handles member complaints against publishers and agents, administers the RITA and Golden Heart contests, reviews all PAN applications, arranges the editor and agent author event and reviews Qualifying Market Questionnaires. Carol graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
TAWA BUSARI, CHAPTER RELATIONS ADMINISTRATOR
832-717-5200, Ext. 130
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Tawa joined RWA October 2018. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Political Science minor from the University of Houston. She has over 10 years of nonprofit management experience of which seven of them are in association management working with chapters and volunteer leaders. Tawa will manage chapter relations, work directly with volunteers at the RWA annual conference and administer the election process.
JESSIE EDWARDS, MARKETING & PR MANAGER
832-717-5200, Ext. 128
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Jessie Edwards began working for Romance Writers of America in August 2017. As Marketing and PR Manager, Jessie handles press inquiries and outreach, as well as RWA social media. Jessie graduated from Berry College in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Public Relations. She has worked in romance publicity since 2010.
ERIN FRY, EDITOR & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER
832-717-5200, Ext. 122
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Erin Fry began working for Romance Writers of America in September 2002. As editor, Erin oversees the editorial and production of the association's magazine (the
Romance Writers Report),
RWA eNotes, and all printed conference materials. Erin graduated Texas A&M University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
STEPHANI FRY, EDUCATION & PROGRAMS MANAGER
832-717-5200, Ext. 126
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Stephani Fry has been with RWA since 2005. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Sociology and earned her Master of Library Science in 2008. Currently, Stephani serves as RWA’s liaison to the bookseller and librarian communities, organizes RWA’s presence at BookExpo America and the ALA Conferences, arranges the RWA Librarians Day events, serves as the staff contact for the workshop committee and RWA University, and assists with the management of the Academic Research Grant program.
KRISHNA HERNANDEZ, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
832-717-5200, Ext. 123
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Krishna joined RWA in June 2018 for a summer internship. She has earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and minor in Psychology from University of Houston-Downtown, GO GATORS! She brings with her years of customer service mastery, love for data control and excel sheets as well as balancing multiple projects at once. She is now the Administrative Assistant ready to handle the next project(s).
DONNA MATHOSLAH, MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR
832-717-5200, Ext. 121
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Donna Mathoslah has a background in human resources outsourcing and was once a small business owner. She enthusiastically assists members with questions and responds to members by email or telephone. As a former RWA member, Donna brings a unique understanding to the vital front-office services.
JACKIE PADILLA, ACCOUNTANT
832-717-5200, Ext. 132
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Jackie came to RWA in the summer of 2014 to take on the role of Accountant. Jackie has earned an Associate’s degree in accounting and a Bachelor’s degree in business finance (graduated with honors). With a love for numbers, Jackie handles all things financial when it comes to RWA.
MEGAN SLOAN, SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER
832-717-5200, Ext. 120
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Megan joined RWA in June 2010 all the way from Indiana. With a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Purdue University and extensive work experience ranging from business travel to event planning, her skills are widely utilized at RWA. Currently, Megan handles an array of projects.